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It is actually very odd that you were pushed into communion. Not even all the active Catholics take communion at mass. Also, the churches here do NOT place the wafer into the mouth of the recipient, but place it in your hand.

It seemed the circumstances are what pushed him. There were very few there and they were all family and probably all Catholic. They would have prepared to take communion . . . so he probably would have been the only one not doing so.

It is actually very odd that you were pushed into communion. Not even all the active Catholics take communion at mass. Also, the churches here do NOT place the wafer into the mouth of the recipient, but place it in your hand.

It seemed the circumstances are what pushed him. There were very few there and they were all family and probably all Catholic. They would have prepared to take communion . . . so he probably would have been the only one not doing so.

Exactly. Only I think they're all what I call "funeral Catholics." I've never once heard the relatives I did know at the funeral ever mention or practice anything remotely religious in my life until last week.

That had to be an awkward moment.
I was selected to eulogize my grandma, on one day's notice, at her funeral a few years ago. She was a christian, so in my eulogy I mentioned her faith, how heaven was made for people like her, and how she was looking down on us....
I sold out.
But, I did it for her and for the family. They thought it was beautiful and moving. So, I'm glad I 'sacrificed' for their benefit.

That priest should not have given you Communion. For all he knew, you could be Jewish or Protestant and had never had a First Holy Communion. People who are not Catholic or have not yet had First Holy Communion are not supposed to take part. He violated his own bleepin' religion, the idjut.

Of course, you have to wonder if, technically, anyone in that room was in the required "state of grace" to accept it. Were they all recently confessed and absolved of their sins? Anyone there have sex outside of marriage and not confess it beforehand? Any gay people? Any divorced people? And of course, no one ate or drank anything an hour before receiving, right?

Obviously, you see the joke of all of this, OP, as do I, an ex-Catholic, and many others here. Too bad the priest couldn't even follow his own orders, literally.

FWIW, my SO and I sat through my nephew's funeral Mass. We didn't get up to get Communion, and some of the relatives stared at us. Their problem, not ours.

When the woman tapped you on the shoulder, you should have just shaken your head "no" and put your hand up. What was she going to do, start an argument? All you'd have to say is, "I'm not Catholic." That would be the truth. If other people have an issue with it, that's too dang bad.

P.S. Yes, receiving by hand so that you place it into your own mouth is an option that began a good 30 years ago. I remember doing that in high school, and I graduated in 1984. Catholics may receive either way, by hand or by having it placed on their tongues. BTW, the reason he hesitated was when he said, "Body of Christ," you were supposed to say "Amen." You are supposed to agree with him that the wafer is indeed Christ's body.

I was selected to eulogize my grandma, on one day's notice, at her funeral a few years ago. She was a christian, so in my eulogy I mentioned her faith, how heaven was made for people like her, and how she was looking down on us....
I sold out.
But, I did it for her and for the family. They thought it was beautiful and moving. So, I'm glad I 'sacrificed' for their benefit.

SteelDragon, I did the same thing.

When my wife's father died two years, I helped her prepare a lovely video with a collection of family pictures to show at his funeral. I composed a message at the end which included a wish that he could rest in eternal peace with his loving wife, who had died in 2007.

My wife and I have watched the video many times. I'm very happy to have played a part in it.

It is actually very odd that you were pushed into communion. Not even all the active Catholics take communion at mass. Also, the churches here do NOT place the wafer into the mouth of the recipient, but place it in your hand.

regarding communion...........the common practice was for the priest/ Eucharistic minister to place the host on your tongue.

The Catholic church then approved people having the option of taking it in the hand.

I am one of the few who still take it on my tongue and I do get upset with people who believe you are supposed to be taking it in your hands.

Went through much the same with my wife's favorite uncle, also catholic. He was a nice guy, and I liked him a lot.

Went to all the things family is supposed to, talked to his wife and adult children (wife's first cousins) and other family we know. When the religion was rolled out, were respectful, and silent. No participation in any of the hockus pockus of the funeral mass. At least they did talk about him vs. trying to turn it into a conversion revival as I witnessed at the funeral of a fellow fallen firefighter years ago. Preacher was a pentecostal spittle spraying bible thumper that never mentioned the man in the flag draped coffin immediately in front of him. At least the Catholics showed a little class.

I would have done what you did except I would have taken communion, even if I had been hungry and thirsty.

I am a lifelong Atheist but I think it is wonderful how organized religion gives comfort to many people.

My wife's father (a survivor of the Japanese attack on Pearl harbor) died two years. We did not have the funeral in a church, but she found a wonderful priest to officiate at the service we arranged, and he handled things very, very well. His sincerity helped all of us to feel better.

I'm pretty sure you meant to say "I would have NOT taken communion"

Also the description of being herded like sheep (sorry couldn't resist) seem a bit over the top on the part of the church also. They know or should know that many people of many faiths, or <gasp> none attend funerals out of respect for the person or to support the family. At the only full blown catholic funeral mass I have been to, there was no herding, just the opportunity for those that wanted to participate in the symbolic cannibalism.

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